Product Description

Commands & Colors: Ancients allows you to re-fight epic battles of the ancient world. Here the focus is on the two rivals for power in the Western Mediterranean -- Carthage and Rome. Will you, as Hannibal, triumph over larger Roman armies; or as Scipio Africanus, will you beat Hannibal with newer tactics of your own?

Units in both armies can only move and fight when ordered. The command playing cards supply those orders, providing an element of luck that creates a fog of war and presents players with both challenges and opportunities. You must maximize your opportunities by playing your command cards judiciously. How well you handle the diverse units, their weapons, and the terrain, will determine victory.

Product Reviews

Command and Colors: Ancients gives a lot of enjoyment for the money.
This is one I will replay endlessly because the enjoyment factor is
high and it is a game that is easy to start, with rules that are
clearly written and, as you gain experience, you also gain in
enjoyment. After a few plays, the need to refer to the rules is
minimal. The blocks and the units are all color-coded with a symbol
for each type of unit for easy identification.

15 different battles in the reprint use the two forces provided (Roman
and Carthaginian) and can be replayed many times with each replay
being different. The other expansions to the game add the Greeks,
Persians, Barbarians, and more Romans for the Civil Wars. Most
scenarios come down to end as tightly fought battles, with the result
capable of going either way.

No other game like it, the wooden block pieces are a real throw
back and refreshing in days of tokens and production shortcuts.
People say the wooden blocks are annoying, I have no idea what
they are talking about. The blocks make it real easy to grab and
move entire sections of armies at a time unlike BattleLore or
Memoir '44 (both great, great games and Iown and enjoy them as
well but CCA is top list) which actually have figures but makes it a
feat of dexterity to maneuver pieces. Game also plays quick,
15~20minutes, and because the pieces are predominately blocks
setup/re-setup is a snap (sorry BattleLore and Memoir44, this is
why I pick CCA more often).

Dang i love this game, writing about it makes me want to start a
tourney, the quick easy rules, the sophisticated stragety, the feel
of the blocks moving across the board ... nice.

There are many games that I have seen people talking about long
before they are released, but none so much as Command and Colors:
Ancients (GMT Games, 2006 - Richard Borg). Richard Borg's light
wargaming system that he introduced in BattleCry and then advanced in
Memoir '44 was finally being produced by a war game company. This
caused a level of excitement, as people were wondering if Mr. Borg
would add a bit of complexity to the system to satisfy those who
thought Memoir was too "light". For me personally, I loved Memoir -
it being in my top ten games - and was certainly eager to play another
game using the same system. Then, over a year ago, I heard that GMT
was going to be using cardboard standups in the game, and that simply
doused my interest in the game, as I really liked the high production
values of Days of Wonder (producers of Memoir '44.)

Then, in 2005, it was announced that GMT would be producing C&C:A on
wooden blocks with stickers on both sides. I was suddenly interested
again; because even though blocks aren't as neat as plastic miniatures
for me, they sure looked interesting in the pictures of the
pre-production versions I saw. Finally, I received my copy of the
game and gave it a whirl. And then played it again, and again, and
again. I'm sitting here, typing this review, and thinking about
playing it again! Rarely has such a game fascinated me as much as
C&C:A. Mr. Borg and the GMT team have taken an excellent system and
applied it to the ancient Rome vs. Carthage war with great success.
If you are a war gamer or someone who is simply thinking of dabbling
in the genre, I can think of no other game (except Memoir) that would
be better for you to play.

Some comments on the game…

1.) Components: As I said, I initially wasn't sold on the blocks, but
they worked extremely well. They may not be as nice looking as
miniatures, but they're light years better than cardboard counters and
are a pleasure to move around and use. I play with them standing up,
but it's also quite possible to lay them down - it all depends on what
perspective you'd like. I was going to complain about the two plus
hours it takes to put all the stickers on the blocks, but then my wife
reminded me that we painted blocks, cut corners off of counters, and
then glued counters to thousands of blocks in Warangel. So what can I
say? I was also going to complain about the dice, because they seemed
too light to roll well. In fact, I put the stickers on blank dice
that I had in my dice collection, and used them instead. Then, I had
the chance to play the game with the original dice, and you know what
- I didn't care? So don't let the complaints about the lightness of
the dice scare you - in fact you can pop them open and fill them with
sand or something heavy to weigh them down. The board and tiles
aren't too terribly high in quality but certainly look good when on
the table with all the blocks (hundreds of 'em!) One thing that I
really appreciated about the game was the artwork. Mr. MacGowan did
an excellent job at illustrating the very sturdy, strong box, but the
counter artwork is simply great! It looks like you have a little army
on the table, and the symbols on the blocks help determine at a glance
what kind of unit it is. It's a very impressive package, really, and
one of the best I've ever seen GMT produce. You're definitely getting
your money's worth component-wise!

2.) Rules: Rather than give you a full rundown of the rules, suffice
it to say that one player plays the Romans and the other the
Carthaginians. A scenario is chosen from the book, and players set up
their forces as shown. Players each have a hand of cards, and play a
card on their turn, which allows them to move and attack with certain
of their units. Units can attack via a ranged attack or close combat,
and roll a certain amount of dice. The symbols on the dice rolled can
either miss, kill troops in the unit, or cause the attacked units to
retreat. When a unit is entirely destroyed, the other team gets one
victory point. The first player to reach a certain amount of victory
points is the winner. That's an oversimplification of the rules, but
the rules are really fairly easy; and while they are more complicated,
several of them (such as the specific rules for elephants) can be
learned in later scenarios. I've taught the game to both people
who've played Memoir before and to those who haven't. While the folks
who have played Borg games before understood the game almost by
default, the game was still simple enough to teach to newcomers. Even
though I consider Commands and Colors: Ancients fairly complicated,
the rules are very easy to understand and extremely intuitive. Some
questions may be raised, but Mr. Borg and the GMT folk are incredible
about answering questions online - particularly at Consimworld. A FAQ
is already available online, but I personally haven't looked at it yet
because I haven't run into any rules questions that weren't solvable
by common sense. The rulebook is in full color and is extremely well
written; one of the best layouts for a rulebook I've ever seen.

3.) Diversity: There are thirteen different types of units, which add
a diverse range of soldiers not yet seen in this system. Only a few
types are used in each scenario, however, so players aren't
overwhelmed; but it's critical to know how the units work together.
Heavy infantry are powerhouses, but slow. Light cavalry can make
swooping attacks then dance away. I was amazed at how well the units
worked together, and how I really felt like the game was an accurate
simulation of ancient warfare. None of the units seemed overpowered;
there are disadvantages to all of them, even the elephants, and it was
fun trying to figure out the best role of each type. Two help sheets
are included that quickly detail all the special rules and abilities
of troop types. Unlike many war games, there aren't pages of
exceptions - most of the units are pretty straightforward, with the
elephants being the most complicated (and not much!)

4.) Elephants: Of course elephants are the most attractive units (to
me, anyway), and there are several special rules pertaining to them.
Elephants roll the same amount of dice that their opponent rolls,
making them devastating to heavy infantry, which roll five dice when
attacking. They cause extra consternation to horses, making them
effective versus cavalry, and can attack after a "momentum advance" -
a rule that allows a unit to move into a spot in which they forced an
enemy to retreat (or destroyed the enemy). However, not everything
about elephants is sunshine; when retreating, they can trample
friendly units who get in their way. Elephants can also rampage,
attacking every square around them, friendly or not. They're fun
units to use, but even more fun to kill.

5.) Leaders: There is no denying that leaders are the most important
figures on the battlefield. They offer huge advantages that a clever
general will makes use of. They increase the percentages of hits in
close combat by 16% for their unit and the units adjacent to them,
making close formations with a leader involved killing machines. They
bolster morale of the unit they are with and allow an extra close
combat attack after a momentum advance. There are also several
command cards that utilize leaders, so players must make sure to have
them with key units and in key positions. At the same time, every
time a unit takes a hit, there is a 1/36 chance the leader dies, which
would give a victory point to the other team. Leaders by themselves
can also be targeted. I've seen many battles won because key leaders
were caught out in the open and killed, and the extra victory points
for killing them can be critical. I will maintain, after several
games, that the player who best utilizes their leaders will win the game.

6.) Other units: The game focuses quite a bit on using cavalry
effectively. Cavalry that is forced to retreat can find themselves in
precarious positions, so a player must take care not to let them get
pinned down by infantry units. At the same time, they can be quite
effective at swooping in and making short ranged attacks, or catching
an enemy (with a leader sometimes) off guard. There are a few units
in the game, such as war machines that are also included, that have no
current rules but are there in preparation for expansions.

7.) Combat: Ranged combat is fairly weak, as befitting the time
period. But a player should never underestimate it, because so many
of the light units with ranged attack that are peppering the enemy
with shots can cause havoc and break holes in the line, forcing the
enemy backwards. Close combat is the heart of the game, and units
that survive an attack (not retreating or being destroyed) get a
chance to swing back. Each die has six symbols on it, a green circle
(for light units), a blue triangle (for medium units), a red square
(for heavy units), crossed swords, a leader helmet, and a flag. When
a unit attacks another unit in close combat, they roll a certain
amount of dice (for example, a medium infantry unit rolls four dice on
the attack). When attacking another unit, each die that matches the
unit being attacked causes a hit. In addition, a unit that has an
attached leader or an adjacent leader causes a hit when rolling a
helmet. Many units also cause hits when rolling crossed swords
(although some units, like the elephants, can ignore these). One unit
is removed for each hit. Each flag rolled causes the attacked unit to
retreat backwards one full movement, although some variables can cause
a player to ignore some flags. So, for example, a medium infantry
unit with an attached leader attacking a light archer unit in close
combat hits on a green circle, crossed swords, and a leader helmet.

8.) Cohesion: One thing that just thrills me about the game is how it
promotes army formations. Since each unit can ignore a flag when
adjacent to two other units, it's very dangerous for a unit to be
caught out in the open. Leaders also give bonuses to adjacent units.
Even better, there are many command cards that allow leaders and
adjacent units to move, and some that let an entire line move! This
encourages two things - for players to keep their lines intact and for
opponents to try to break holes in the enemy lines. This has a
fascinating feel, as lines will swing across the battlefield and
cavalry try to swing around and catch units that break off from the
main group.

9.) Command Cards: One thing that I think is perfect in this game is
the command card distribution. First of all, I don't think there is a
solitary "weak" card - every card has a good use, and the worst thing
that can happen to a player is that they get a handful of cards for
the flank of the battlefield that they don't need. Still, a good
player works with the cards they have and puts their troops in
positions to best maximize the usage of their cards. Each player has
a "command" value, which is the amount of cards they hold in their
hand. Several of the command cards utilize this command value, which
really can make the difference in scenarios, and shows the brilliance
of certain generals, such as Hannibal. If my command value is "6," and
I can move units equal to my command value, that's much more helpful
than if my command value is "4". I really enjoyed the different
command cards; my favorites being line commands, which allow an entire
line to advance and attack, and the "Move-Fire-Move" cards, which
allowed ranged units to move in, fire, then fall back. Fun stuff.

10.) Terrain: The terrain hexes in this game did not play a huge role
in the game. Many of the battlefields have zero terrain and center
mostly on army maneuvers. The terrain tiles that are included,
however, when used are extremely helpful for the defenders. Players
who manage to get to and hold hills and forests have a huge advantage
against their opponents.

11.) Scenarios: Ten scenarios are included with the game, with more
being produced by fans and found online. These included ten scenarios
detail the major battles of the Second Punic War between Rome and
Carthage. Some of the scenarios are unbalanced, but players can
simply switch sides when done and see who does better with the losing
army. I loved the historical notes included with the scenarios, they
certainly taught me a little about the war and explained a bit of the
tactics that the actual generals used. Players can then decide to
follow the same plans, or to forge new plans, attempting to change
history. With the large amount of unit types, some scenarios take a
fair bit of time to setup, but I found that keeping the different unit
types in separate plastic bags helps speed up the process. The
scenarios are definitely diverse - each one had a completely different
feel from the rest. I applaud GMT on their scenarios; if I was forced
to play only the ten included with the game, I would be satisfied.

12.) Expansions: Already, the first expansion is under production,
adding in over 300 new blocks for the Persian and Greek armies. It's
amazing how adaptable the system is, and how it can apply to myriads
of ancient armies and battles. I'm looking forward to a Biblical army
expansion myself. There is a huge expandability opportunity for this
game, which will please those who want to play ancient battles.
Greeks, Assyrians, Babylonians, Sioux - the possibilities are
tremendous, and it sounds like GMT is going to take advantage of them.

13.) Time: Discounting setup time, which can be variable, most games
last less than an hour, and that often includes rules explanation. We
found ourselves referring to the nice charts included with the game
often - two of them, with the units and all their abilities; but after
only a few games, I have most of them memorized already. I love how
C&C:A packs so much fun and "game" into an hour.

14.) Strategy: As in any good game, there is a decent amount of luck.
No amount of strategy can prevent you from occasionally not getting
the cards you need, or having a leader and some elephants destroyed by
a few unlucky die rolls. But overall, strategic planning will win you
the game; more than any other light war game that I've ever played,
C&C:A allows players to dominate based on strategy alone. At the same
time, the game is accessible enough that a new player can come in and
hold their own without feeling lost and confused.

15.) Memoir '44 and Battlecry: It's inevitable that these games will
be compared with C&C:A, since they both use the same basic system of
gameplay. I can't really tell you which one I like better, although
Battlecry does come in a distant third. C&C:A certainly has the best
tactics and strategy, while Memoir has the better components and the
World War II framework, which appeals to a lot of people. I think
that I would use Memoir '44 to teach newcomers how to play the system,
and then if they showed interest, to progress them to the slightly
more detailed but more rewarding C&C:A system. Memoir's Overlord
scenarios are missing from this game and are something I really
enjoyed, but the two-player game is certainly better in C&C:A.
However, it's a moot point, since both games are great, and both
should be a part of every collection.

16.) Commands and Colors System: I'm no war gamer, yet I love this
system; it's easy, accessible, and fun and allows for great strategy.
At the same time, it comes very close to accuracy in battles, both in
ancient times and the WW2 era. War gamers and others alike can enjoy
this game, playing it simply to have fun. I've said it before, and
I'll say it again - Richard Borg's system is the best and cleanest
wargming system I have ever seen and played, and one of the definitive
mechanics of the last decade. I believe that everyone should play one
of these games, whether it sounds interesting or not, because they are
a lot of fun.

So my conclusion is that Commands and Colors: Ancients is a game worth
picking up. I've gone from partial interest in it to the point where
it's become one of my favorite games. I constantly think about the
scenarios, am actually reading up on the historical backgrounds to
learn more about the tactics, and am trying to convince everyone I
come across to play the game. GMT has produced a real winner here,
and I think Richard Borg will someday be hailed as one of the greatest
war game designers ever. Play this game now!